NEW DELHI: India, Japan, Australia, and the United States concluded the 3rd Quad Counterterrorism Working Group (CTWG) meeting in New Delhi on December 4–5, reinforcing their collective commitment to combating terrorism in all forms, including cross-border terrorism.
The meeting took place as part of India’s rotation hosting the next Quad Summit. The CTWG was originally established during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi in March 2023.
India Calls for Strong, Action-Oriented Counterterror Cooperation
Delivering the keynote address, Ambassador Sibi George, Secretary (West), called for a unified resolve within the Quad to defeat terrorism.
George emphasized the need for a “resilient, robust, and action-oriented” CTWG and thanked partners for supporting India after the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
Officials from the four nations “unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism.”
They expressed condolences for the November 10, 2025 terror attack near Delhi’s Red Fort, calling for its perpetrators, organizers, and financiers to be brought to justice, urging UN member states to cooperate.
High-Level Participation
Delegations were led by senior counterterror officials:
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Dr. Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary, Counter Terrorism, MEA (India)
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Ms. Gemma Huggins, Ambassador for Counter Terrorism, DFAT (Australia)
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Mr. MINAMI Hiroyuki, Ambassador for International Cooperation on Countering Terrorism (Japan)
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Ms. Monica Ager Jacobsen, Senior Bureau Official, U.S. State Department Counterterrorism Bureau
Focus on Indo-Pacific Security & Emerging Threats
Quad members exchanged assessments on evolving terrorism threats, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. Discussions covered operational collaboration, intelligence sharing, and responses to emerging security risks.
They stressed keeping the Indo-Pacific “open and free from the threats of terrorism.”
A Tabletop Exercise (TTx) on “Counter Terrorism Operations in the Urban Environment” enabled experts to review best practices and explore operational preparedness for complex terrorist incidents.
The statement highlighted two Quad CTWG workshops held in India in September 2025 on:
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Countering the terrorist use of UAVs (drones) — hosted by the National Security Guard
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Preventing exploitation of emerging technology for terror financing — hosted by the National Investigation Agency
Quad members reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation, strengthening multilateral engagement, and sharing intelligence on terrorists, organizations, and their proxies.
They agreed to convene the next CTWG meeting in 2026.
